Is President Obama Finally Taking Off the Gloves?

by Debra Kozikowski

to take one’s gloves off

Fig. to stop being calm or civil and show an intention of winning a dispute.

After months of letting lawmakers, loudmouths and media consultants, most of whom sure seem bought and paid for by the insurance industry, dictate the national debate on health insurance reform, President Barack Obama finally appears ready to put up his dukes. The president is set to address a joint session of Congress next Wednesday – and a national television audience — to make the case for changing America’s health insurance system.

Never mind the weak mantra, “It’s time.” This week proponents of reform are sighing, “It’s about time.”

The administration also is trying to compile a simplified and lower-cost blueprint for legislation that would plainly put Mr. Obama’s stamp on the issue, and more clearly identify it with him. The effort amounts to an acknowledgment that the president’s previous tactics of laying out principles and leaving Congress to fill in the details were no longer working.

3 Responses to “Is President Obama Finally Taking Off the Gloves?”

From one end of the country to the other angry confused people on both sides ofthe reform issue have been battling it out at town hall forums. It’s been reported in some cases these supposedly “average” Americans have been paid to show up and get obnoxious with their local congressman. Things took an even uglier turn last week at a California rally where an incident and heated yelling match ended with one man biting the finger off the other.

The Republicans say reform is bad for your personal health. It sure was for the guy who lost his pinky. This has gotten crazy and I am hoping against hope that the president has some magic words to convince his former colleagues in the Senate to get us all what we need when it comes to health care not just health insurance.